The easy way to remember it is: if the class counts towards your GPA (no matter how bad the grade is) the VA will pay for it. You can take the class as many times as necessary and get paid each time. If however, you withdraw, the grade will not count towards your degree and in the eyes of the VA you aren't due any money for it. (What Happens If You Drop A Class Using The GI Bill, 2016)
Full Answer
Despite struggling with a class and the anxiety that follows, you can fail a class and still maintain your GI Bill benefits. However, there are a few decisions to make and conversations with the administration to help you decide the next steps. You should first evaluate your academic standing.
If your school closed and you believe you meet the requirements outlined above – complete the Education Benefit Entitlement Restoration Request Due to School Closure or Withdrawal form. Submit that form online though the “Submit a Question” button on the GI Bill website or via mail to: Muskogee Regional Processing Office P.O.Box 8888
For example: You are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, get $1,500 a month housing allowance as a full-time student, and your classes cost $300 per credit hour. Three months into the term you drop 2 classes. This will change your training time from full-time to 1/2 time.
This depends on which GI Bill program you’re using. If you’re using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t get an advance payment. If you’re using a GI Bill program other than the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may be able to get an advance payment. You’ll need to meet all of the requirements listed below.
If you withdraw from a class and you change training time (based on the table below) you will have a debt with the VA for your housing allowance. Your school will also notify the VA that you dropped a class. The VA will then bill you for the money it paid the school for the classes you dropped.
On August 15, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims issued its opinion in the case ruling that a veteran with multiple periods of qualifying service could use both Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) benefits up to each individual program's 36-month cap, subject only to the ...
Using My Transferred Benefits This means you can reallocate the benefits among family members, revoke those benefits at any time, and return them to yourself. When you share your GI Benefits with a family member, they are subject to the following guidelines: Your Spouse: May use the benefit immediately.
If I fail a class, will the GI Bill® still pay? May I retake a class to improve my grade? If you fail a class, credits to repeat the class can be re-certified. You can use your benefits to improve a grade only if the grade you received is not acceptable under your program.
You get 36 months of full-time GI Bill benefits and have no time limit on when you need to use them by.
Servicemembers and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 will be entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100-percent benefit level for up to 36 months. This was effective on August 1, 2018.
The Forever GI bill provides 30 million dollars in funding to upgrade technology at the Veterans Benefits Administration. This funding will let them complete their rules-based processing system for claims, and the department will provide training requirements to school certifying officers that process the paperwork.
If you were discharged before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after you separated from the military. Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire 10 years after you separate from the military.
chapter 33) at any time, but not more than once in a calendar month. The individual may choose to receive benefits under 38 U.S.C. chapter 33 at any time, but not more than once during a certified term, quarter, or semester.
Go to Pay.va.gov to pay by credit card or an ACH debit from your bank account (also called direct payment). Please pay each debt separately. Are you paying the full balance of a debt or do you receive monthly VA benefit payments? Call us at 800-827-0648 (or 1-612-713-6415 from overseas) before you make a payment.
Do I have to pay back my GI bill if I fail a class? No, you do not have to pay back the GI Bill if you fail a class as long as you stay in and attend the class through the end of the semester.
If you withdraw from (or “drop”) a class, you may need to pay us back for the cost of any housing or books and supplies that we gave you money for. Your school may need to pay us back for tuition, fees, and Yellow Ribbon benefits paid on your behalf.
Your monthly GI Bill payment may be less than your monthly rate for one of these reasons: You attended classes for only part of the month. Classes often begin and end somewhere in the middle of a month, instead of on the first and last day of a month.
You must: Have an advance payment request on file at your school, and. Be attending school at least half time, and. Have a break of at least 30 days before the start of the term. Note: We must receive your enrollment certification at least 30 days before classes start. Back to top.
This depends on which GI Bill program you’re using. If you’re using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t get an advance payment. If you’re using a GI Bill program other than the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may be able to get an advance payment. You’ll need to meet all of the requirements listed below.
If you decrease your training time (i.e. drop classes, leave school, etc.) and we have already processed a payment for tuition and fees, an overpayment will occur. When the School Certifying Official (SCO) notifies us of a change, a debt is created against your account.
When you enroll in school and take classes, you enter into an agreement with the school to pay for your classes and the associated fees. VA pays the tuition and fees to the school on your behalf when the School Certifying Official (SCO) certifies that you are enrolled in classes.
When an account has an overpayment or debt you can expect us to take the following steps to collect the debt:
You can elect to use benefits under another benefit program for which you are eligible even if you have a debt under your current benefit program.
If a student drops a course or withdraws from school after the drop period and receives a non punitive grade, VA will reduce benefits effective the first day of the term unless mitigating circumstances are found.
If you withdraw during the school's drop/add period (generally the first 30 days of a term), and dropping a class changes your training time, the VA will reduce your training time and any make the pay adjustment effective on the date of your withdrawal. This may or may not result in an overpayment.
So, if you have to drop a class because of a valid reason, the VA will possibly pay you through your drop date. Remember, the VA keeps all your information on file and they are stewards of public funds.
The VA realizes that sometimes you need to drop a class and for this reason they have something called "the six credit hour exclusion". Basically, your first withdrawal (up to six credit hours) is excused. The VA will adjust your training time on the date of withdrawal, not all the way back to the start of the term. This can only be used once, and you can't combine two 3 hour withdrawals to game the system. If you drop 3 hours and get the exclusion it is gone forever.
If you withdraw after the school's drop/add period the VA will reduce your training time on the beginning date of the term. This will usually result in an overpayment which can be quite large.
The VA calls these things "mitigating circumstances", in fact they list several on their website: An illness or injury afflicting the student during the enrollment period.
Unanticipated active military service, including active duty for training. Unanticipated difficulties with childcare arrangements the student has made for the period during which he or she is attending classes. When the VA is told of your withdrawal they will ask you if you have mitigating circumstances for your drop.
An unavoidable change in the student’s conditions of employment. An unavoidable geographical transfer resulting from the student’s employment. Immediate family or financial obligations beyond the control of the claimant that require him or her to suspend pursuit of the program of education to obtain employment.
Section 109 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to restore entitlement to beneficiaries affected by a school closure or disapproval (if the disapproval was due to a change in law or VA interpretation of statute).
Note 2: By law VA is not authorized to make the above described MHA payments until August 1, 2018. If your school closed or was disapproved prior to this date and if you are due an MHA payment, VA will make that retroactive payment after August 1, 2018.
VA will not charge you for the term, quarter, or semester you were attending when the school closed or your program was disapproved if: your college or program closed permanently, or. a change to VA regulations or a new law caused your program to end, and.
Two recent laws are on the books that affect your rights, meaning those rights are slightly different based on when your school closed. There are three distinct timeframes that determine what you need to do to apply to have your benefits restored:
Aside from GI Bill and VA benefits, you also have rights with your Pell Grants and students loans. You can get your Pell Grants restored as if you'd never gone to school and get your federal student loans erased. You must meet three conditions:
It's more difficult to get private student loans canceled or forgiven, but you might be able to get some of them canceled if you were still enrolled (or on an approved leave of absence) when the school closed.
Some states have student tuition recovery funds that will reimburse you for some of the money you lost when your school closed (including GI Bill, Pell Grants and student loans). Find out what your rights are in your state.
Watch out for scammers. Be very wary of student debt relief companies and online offers of help. All your rights explained here are free of charge. You don't have to pay anyone to get your rights.
Whether you need a guide on how to use your GI Bill, want to take advantage of tuition assistance and scholarships, or get the lowdown on education benefits available for your family, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have education tips and benefits updates delivered directly to your inbox.
For those pursuing a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) field, the Forever GI Bill STEM extension can help. Since many STEM degrees take more credits to complete, this program is designed to help veterans finish while still receiving the benefits from the GI Bill.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that can help students attend more expensive schools at little or no out-of-pocket cost. The Yellow Ribbon Program at GGU will pay up to $14,000 per student per term and the VA will match it, potentially giving you some wiggle room.
Formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and sometimes referred to as Chapter 31 caters to veterans with a service-connected disability and a minimum of 10% rating. VR&E provides resources for veterans including VA-funded job training with the focus on getting veterans employed.
For the final semester or few months of college, traditional scholarships may be a good option. You can check with veteran organizations like the VFW or local organizations like Kiwanis. Many installations also have scholarship opportunities from spouses' clubs or service organizations like the Association of the United States Army.